Case study:
Alexander House Surgery

Batch Self-Book: Reducing staff pressures and speeding up appointment booking

In 2022, Alexander House Surgery began using Batch Self-Book to simplify appointment booking for routine tests, vaccinations and NHS health checks.

Within months, the team freed up phone lines and relieved pressures on staff – all while saving money and delivering more proactive care.

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Female patient with arm in cast uses phone to communicate with network of healthcare professionals

Impact at a glance:

Estimated savings of
£100,000+ across the PCN

Reduced call volumes and
staff overtime

4x more health checks delivered due to freed up clinical time

Context: stress, overtime and backed up phonelines

Before late 2022, Alexander House Surgery had no easy way of getting patients booked in for routine tests, annual reviews and vaccinations. The team would send a batch message to patients asking them to call the practice to book an appointment.

However, staff found this stressful and inefficient, while patients often couldn’t get through on phone lines. As a result, the team struggled to maximise clinical resource, coordinate care quickly and deliver flu and COVID vaccinations within normal practice hours.

Before Batch Self-Book, phones would be ringing off the hook. Patients would experience waiting times of 45 minutes and queue outside to book their flu vaccination.

Patrick Denston, Practice Manager, Alexander House Surgery

In late 2022, the practice started using Accurx to...

Invite patients to Self-Book consultations and routine tests straight into their clinical appointment book

Get patients booked in for vaccinations (flu, COVID and shingles) quickly, without unnecessary admin time

Improve uptake of health checks, raising QOF scores to secure greater funding in the future

How they use Batch Self-Book today

Every month, the team now send 400-500 Self-Book invites in just a few clicks, inviting patients for blood tests, diabetes reviews and cervical screening. Patients receive a simple link and can book themselves straight into the practice’s clinical appointment book at a convenient time and date.

If slots have been cancelled or are still available, the team send follow-up invites to help fill unused capacity at late notice. By tracking bookings in real time, they now effectively plan their clinical resource and can avoid contacting patients who no longer need care.

It makes life easier for the reception team as patients are far less frustrated when trying to get through for urgent health matters.

Receptionist, Alexander House Surgery

Simplify appointment booking in your practice

Find out how your practice can use Batch Self-Book to free up phone lines, maximise clinical capacity and save time.

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What’s the impact been?

Since using Batch Self-Book, the surgery has cut call volumes and admin time, dramatically reducing the burden on the reception team. In 2022, QOF targets were easily achieved before the end of the year. This freed up nursing capacity during the winter months to help with other system pressures. As a result, the service delivered the same percentage of vaccinations as previously – but at much less cost in time and staff resource. The practice previously had to hold 4-5 Saturday flu vaccination clinics but this was reduced to one clinic last year.

An estimated £100,000+ saved

shared with local
GP practices in a year

2,000 patients booked in

with the new system in just months

4x more health checks delivered

with high uptake and empty slots filled at late notice

Freed up  phone lines

as fewer patients are calling reception for an appointment

Accurx is the most user-friendly piece of kit that we have. The time saved with sending out Self-Book links is incredible. The clinicians are really happy with it. Patients love it. Our Patient Participation group have all fed back positively. It gives them the flexibility of looking at a selection of convenient times. They’re not then sitting on the phone waiting to get through.

 Patrick Denston, Practice Manager, Alexander House Surgery

In independent evaluation of Self-Book...

100% of practices said Self-Book was critical to achieving QOF targets this year
100% of staff interviewed said they would recommend Self-Book to other practices
84% of patients found Self-Book easy to use and most would recommend the service to friends
Staff reported that Self-Book had reduced stress, boosted morale and improved job satisfaction

Read about the study

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Case study: Alexander House Surgery